COLONIAL AND AMERICAN HORSEMEN 179 



horse would certainly fall atop of me; whereas if 

 I went fast I should assuredly be launched so far 

 ahead that there would be room for my horse 

 between me and the fence that had upset me. It 

 was not a nice prospect for a man riding over 

 sixteen stone ! 



' But now had come the moment in which I must 

 make up my mind. Half a dozen men were over the 

 rail ; half a dozen baulked it ; two fell, escaping their 

 own horses by judicious impetus. One gentleman 

 got his horse half over, the four- quarters being on 

 one sidO;, and the hind on the other, so that the 

 animal was hung up. A lady rode at it with spirit, 

 but checked her horse with the curb, and he, rearing 

 back, fell on her. Another lady took it in gallant 

 style. For a moment it seemed as though the honour 

 of all the hunting-fields in England were entrusted 

 to my keeping, and I determined to dare greatly, let 

 the penalty be what it might. With firm hands and 

 legs, but with heart very low down, I crammed the 

 little brute at the mountain of woodwork. As I did 

 so I knew that he could not carry me over. Luckily 

 he knew as much about it as I did, and made not 

 the slightest attempt to rise with me. I don't know 

 that ever I felt so fond of a horse before. 



' At that moment an interesting individual, 

 coming like a cannon-ball, crashed the top bar beside 

 me, and I, finding the lady comfortably arranging 

 her back hair with plenty of assistance, rode gallantly 



X 2 



